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Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Are you a fan of Asian pears? Personally, I can't get enough of them - super juicy, with a crispness and flavour unlike anything else in the fruit family, in my book they have long outrun the apples they're most commonly compared to. Not only do they make for delicious out-of-hand snacks, but I've come to realize that they make awesome fruits for baking. I've been able to use them in recipes calling for pears (obviously), but also apples and any other firm fruit. Apple pies or crisps, for instance, become a little more interesting with the addition of an Asian pear to the bowl of standard apples, and while sauce and butter take longer to make (they hold their shape exceedingly well), the flavour is fabulous.

So when I had an excess of both my favourite fruit and homemade ricotta, I couldn't wait to try a recipe I had bookmarked for ages - Uni Homemaker's Pear Ricotta Coffee Cake. Obviously, I swapped the fruit, but I also used spelt flour and flaxseed for a little nutrition. Because I wanted the tangy ricotta and tender pears to shine through, I also nixed the streusel - a move that the coffee cake lover in me declared as sacrilege, but in the end resulted in exactly what I was looking for! Although it's not a calorie- or fat-friendly dessert (I was using whole milk, butter and full fat ricotta!), it has a light enough feel to make it perfect for a weeknight dessert or an addition to a Sunday brunch.

The cake doesn't rise very high, and as you can see isn't winning any beauty pageants - but when something packs the flavour and texture this does, eating with the eyes really does come second in importance!